


The Edge of Eden

by Milletrye



Category: Detentionaire (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Goob aka one angsty hoodie kid wasn't enough so here's another, Pre-Canon, gotta love purple hoodie hip hop kid, violence tw and minor religious talks I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:21:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27726763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milletrye/pseuds/Milletrye
Summary: Things have been pretty great for Chopper, Emmett, and Stinky ever since they'd started hanging out at A Nigma High - after everything they've been through together, Chopper would almost go as far as calling it paradise. And it's going to stay that way, he's sure, if they just stick to their single rule: Don't interact with the students unless you have to scare them out of your hallway again. After all, all three of the 15th Graders are carrying secrets with them; pasts that are better kept hidden from anyone who isn't part of their pack.But then, a new school year arrives, and with it, a fresh set of ninth graders. When a particularly fierce one of those sets foot into the 15th Graders' hallway, Chopper can't help but wonder if, just maybe, the students aren't so bad after all. But can he really allow himself to make friends apart from those he's known for half his life... or will it put him, his pack, and all of their well-kept secrets at risk?Includes a few spoilers for my15th Grader backstory fic, but you don't need to know that one for this. Also takes place the year before the show, just fyi.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

As strange as it felt to admit it, things were pretty great.

Stinky, Emmett, and I, we'd been out of juvie for about half a year now, somehow managing to get used to life outside that place. It was weird, of course, to have the freedom of doing pretty much whatever we wanted as long as it wasn't illegal… but we made use of it as much as we could, finally catching up on all those things we'd missed out on for half our lives. Going to the movies, deciding for ourselves what we were gonna have for lunch, and so many other things that'd take too long to name... they were all within our reach these days, and I almost couldn't think of anything still worth improving. After all, we had our own place to live, and each other by our side, and what else could we possibly need?

But it wasn't like we'd forgotten our time in juvie, of course. Sure, the ankle tags we still had to wear weren't much of an issue, but when you've done something for an entire decade, it just kinda sticks with you. Sometimes, when I have to pee in the middle of the night and can't be bothered to turn on any lights, my feet still lead me just a couple of steps away, to the memory of the toilet in Stinky's and my old juvie room.

Let's just say I should probably really start using a light.

Stinky and Emmett had issues of their own, some more amusing than others, but as much as we teased each other sometimes, at the end of the day, we still had each other's backs. We were a pack, after all, united through all the shit we'd had to deal with in juvie, and whoever messes with one of us faces the wrath of the others as well.

Not that there really are a lot of people actually bothering us, that is. But when we'd started working at A Nigma High all those months ago, helping out in the machine shop wing and all, we'd gotten weird looks from the kids there, and lots of comments and rumors about Stinky's strange habits and Emmett's still pretty typical silence. And while Stinky had never really cared about what other people thought of him, I sure did. Back in juvie, there'd always been guards around to stop me from beating up anyone that messed with my friends, but that wasn't the case here. At A Nigma High, my friends and I were pretty much the highest authority there was after the staff, and I'd soon realized we just had to act that way as well.

Of course, we couldn't just go around beating up the students, but there wasn't anything illegal about basic intimidation. So we declared the hallway leading to the machine shop wing as ours, and anyone still stupid enough to enter it for any reason other than shop class soon learned that they really shouldn't do that. Pretty quickly, we really weren't bothered by anyone anymore, and while Stinky sometimes seemed disappointed about that, I was glad. I'd rather be left alone than have people mess with my friends.

Or than have any of us get attached to someone before life screws us over again. Emmett wouldn't be able to handle another situation like the one with his sister, he knew that as well as I did.

We were all glad when the students' first summer vacation came around, but it was over again far too quickly. The students all came back soon enough, and with them, I knew, a whole new year of ninth graders. Impressively, none of those strayed into our hallway for the entire first week or so, but just when I was about to allow myself the hope that we were gonna have a full year of peace and quiet ahead of us, life decided otherwise.

The three of us weren't doing much more than hanging out at the workshop when it happened. "Chopper", Emmett said, in his usual short-spoken fashion that still hadn't changed much in all these months. Still, there was an underlying nervousness in his tone, and his brief nod in a certain direction told me all I needed to know.

My eyes went up to the little screen we'd installed on a wall soon after coming here. It was connected to a camera watching over our hallway, and while we'd only used it as a way to brace ourselves for whoever was coming at first, it had quickly become our signal for actively confronting the trespassers. It still wasn't exactly our favorite activity, but if we let even one person walk through our territory without consequences, the students would stop taking us seriously.

And that was something we couldn't risk.

"That's the first one this year", Stinky pointed out, sounding hopeful. As if he was trying to suggest that we should be nicer to the students again.

"Forget it", I told him with a glare, even if he couldn't see that behind my goggles. He wasn't that great at reading facial expressions anyway, so it was all the more important that I got my feelings across with my words and tone. "We are _not_ gonna let our guard down around people we don't even know - and no, Stinky, we're not gonna change _that_ part either. Let's make sure this first person this year is the last person too."

Whatever Stinky was thinking, he didn't argue with me, so we finally headed out into our hallway. It wasn't hard to spot our latest trespasser: a kid more than two heads smaller than me, wearing a purple hoodie with the hood up. But I could still see enough of the person's face, and that made me notice three things.

One, this kid's skin was even darker than mine, and I couldn't help but feel some sort of immediate kinship, as ridiculous as it was. In a world that had screwed people like my dad and me over more than enough, anyone like us was kind of automatically my ally. Unless they turned out to be jerks, anyway.

My sympathy got mixed with caution when I noticed the second thing, the fact that this kid's dark eyes carried a threatening confidence that I knew all too well from myself, from the months after they'd taken Dad away.

But it wasn't a younger me I was staring down at, not really. Because, number three: It was kind of hard to tell whether it was a boy or a girl glaring up at us. Easily could've been either.

 _Not like it matters_ , I thought to myself, pushing that weird sympathy aside to finally get this over with. Emmett and Stinky were already doing their part, staying silent and looking as intimidating as they managed, so it was up to me to take care of the talking. Briefly, I thought about juvie, about the guards there who'd treated Emmett like shit and who'd hurt me with tasers just to make Stinky shut up, and that was all I needed to get into the right mindset for this.

"Looks like they didn't teach the newbies to stay out of our hallway yet", I announced, making myself as tall as I could. Looming over these kids was usually already half of what was needed to get them to hurry off. "Are you gonna leave on your own or do we have to make you?"

Normally, there'd be fear in the students' eyes now, at the very least a flicker of it. But I didn't see anything like that with this kid - on the contrary, really.

"So you're the 15th Graders", the kid said, not sounding particularly intimidated, and now that I heard the voice, I realized it was a girl we were dealing with. Maybe other people would've been surprised, but honestly, I'd met just as tough girls in juvie.

They hadn't been as tiny though.

Still, I didn't dwell on it for long, because her words were what had really grabbed my attention. And Stinky's too, apparently.

"15th Graders?", he asked, just before I could've changed the topic. I groaned internally - it would've been better to just play along, instead of revealing that we had no idea what she was talking about.

The girl raised her eyebrows at Stinky. "Duh. You know, because you've been here for so long? Or was that just another bullshit story that isn't even true? Because seriously, you aren't half as terrifying as everyone made you sound."

I was kind of impressed when I first heard those words - apparently, the higher grades had actually made us some sort of urban legend for the new students. Which was exactly what we'd been trying to accomplish… but then, this kid evidently didn't seem to care. That, too, was kind of impressive, but I knew we couldn't keep it that way.

"We'll show you how true those stories are", I growled, grabbing the girl by her conveniently baggy hoodie and shoving her against a nearby locker with ease.

A sudden pain made me let go again. For a moment, I had no idea what was happening; all I knew was that something sharp, something _painful as fuck_ was spreading through my body and rendering half of it useless as my brain screamed dozens of pointless warnings at me. I couldn't help but drop to my knees, choking out cusses while being glad my goggles were hiding the tears I definitely didn't want that goddamned girl to see. Had she struck me with a taser, like the guards back in juvie?

No, of course not. The truth, I realized right then and there, was much simpler than that.

That little shit had kicked me in the crotch.

"Get her already!", I yelled at my friends, blinking the tears and the pain away to see what was happening around me. Those words had been unnecessary, I noticed immediately: Stinky had grabbed the girl the same way I had, her back shoved against a locker as well. She was kicking and uttering curses at him, and despite it all, I couldn't help but smile.

Apparently, Stinky's near immunity to pain hadn't quite made it into the stories yet.

"Are you alright?", Emmett asked me now, his voice quiet and strained. He was right next to me, I realized, and I let him help me back to my feet. Certain parts of my body still hurt like hell, but compared to what I'd already been through in my life, this was an inconvenience at best, or at least I was gonna try and make it look that way.

"Yeah", I told him in return. I knew why he was sounding this tense, so I briefly squeezed his hand in reassurance. "Deep breaths", I muttered, and Emmett gave me a nod. He wasn't gonna end up having a fit again, not if we could help it.

Emmett was still subtly holding me as we headed over to Stinky, who smiled at us when he saw us arrive. I knew he viewed me as his sort of anchor when it came to judging pain, so he was probably relieved I wasn't doing that badly right now.

"I thought I'd hold onto her for you, Chopper", he said proudly, which only made his captive thrash around more.

But not for the reason I'd expected.

"I'm not a girl!", the kid protested. "Call me that again and I'll -"

"And you'll what?", I cut her off, not actually letting her answer. "You've got a pretty girly voice for a boy, you know."

That made her glare at me again, just as if saying, "You're lucky I can't kick you again right now." But what she actually said was, "Well, I'm not a boy either."

"Sure", I replied, not really knowing why I was still putting up with this. "And what _are_ you then, hm?"

The kid shrugged. "I don't feel like a boy, and I don't feel like a girl. So I'm neither."

"But if you're not a he and not a she…", Stinky began, sounding honestly confused. "What does that make you? An it?"

His captive rolled her - or his? I had no idea anymore either - eyes. "A they."

"They? As in plural?", I asked, earning myself another glare.

"They as in nonbinary. So what? I beat one of you high and mighty 15th Graders. Pretty sure that makes me great enough to demand that you use the pronouns I want to go by."

I had to grin at that, I couldn't help it. "You're pretty damn fierce for someone your size, you know that?"

"Better than anyone", they told me with a grin of their own, and somehow, deep inside, I knew I'd already forgiven them for the kick in the crotch. It was just far too easy to imagine my younger self in them, and how could I not consider a person like that my ally?

"What's your name?", I decided to ask. Emmett shot me a questioning look, so since he couldn't see my eyes, I gave him a small nod in return. He just had to trust me on this.

"Eden", the kid replied. "And you're Chopper, right? Cool name."

I hesitated a moment, my hand moving up to briefly touch the little cross necklace I had already owned before my time in juvie. These days, I mostly wore it in a way that wasn't really visible to people much smaller than me, so I wasn't sure if Eden had noticed it before. But they definitely had now... hearing a name like theirs, I just couldn't help this gesture. "Thanks", I managed, in order to give them some sort of reply. "And these guys are Emmett and Stinky."

"Hi!", Stinky said with his usual mildly terrifying grin, but Emmett stayed silent. Was it still because he had to forcibly keep himself together after me getting hurt, or was he mad at me that I was actually introducing us to one of our trespassers? I had no idea, and I'd definitely have to talk things out with him later.

"Hey", Eden greeted the others back, not sounding particularly interested in my necklace or bothered by Stinky's expression. "Does that mean you'll finally let go of me now?"

Stinky gave me a glance, waiting for my approval.

"Sure", I decided eventually. "But that doesn't mean we're actually letting you leave just yet. First, I wanna know why you showed up here to begin with."

After Stinky had let go of them, Eden didn't even do as much as square their shoulders. They just stood there, entirely unbothered by the three of us. "Because I wanted to see if you're actually as terrifying as everyone made you sound. The people in my classes are lame as hell, so I figured I'd find myself some more epic company."

Stinky and I exchanged a look. "You're here because you want to hang out with us?", I asked, to make sure I'd understood this kid correctly. Out of all the possible options, I hadn't expected _that_.

Eden crossed their arms, the first actually defensive gesture I'd seen them use. Their voice, at least, sounded as spiteful as before. "So what? Everyone in my grade is all nice and harmless and shit. It's bad enough that my bro is such a big softie, but I can't deal with entire classes like that. I gotta find something to compensate, and you're exactly my kinda people. So here I am."

For a moment, I didn't say anything, too stunned by their words to do so. But at the same time, I couldn't argue that I was intrigued - once again, it was impossible not to see myself in this kid, the way I'd been so many years ago. During that time after I'd just lost Dad.

Maybe Eden was this full of spite because something similar had happened to them. Maybe they needed someone to give them guidance, whether they'd admit it to strangers or not. Maybe… maybe it was time for me to make Dad proud.

Emmett, still subtly supporting me, tightened his grip ever so slightly, and I didn't need to hear a word to get the message. He, for one, didn't like the prospect of having this kid around.

As his alpha, I could've ignored him now, but above all, I was his friend, too. So in the end, what I told Eden was, "I'll have to discuss that with the others. Don't you have classes or somewhere else to be?"

"Got a spare", they told me. "That's probably the only time we'll be able to do this anyway. My bro is this massive killjoy, so I can't let him find out we're doing this."

" _If_ we're doing this", I put in, and Eden shrugged.

"Whatever. Guess I'll find out next week." They shot each of us another glance, and then, just like that, they walked off.

The three of us kept standing there for a moment, watching them leave. I let out a sigh, gesturing for Emmett and Stinky to follow me back to the workshop, and after I'd allowed myself to sit down and let my muscles relax, I finally spoke up. "So", I said. "That sure was something, huh?"

Stinky smiled at me. "You were just like that when we first met. Maybe a bit less, uh…"

"Feisty?", I offered. "Yeah, Dad taught me not to pick fights with people I knew I wouldn't be able to handle. But you've gotta admit, that kid probably would've kicked all our asses if not for your little superpower."

Emmett grunted, but otherwise kept silent. I shot him a worried glance.

"Okay, other than yours. But you didn't lose control, dude, remember? That's all that matters. Nobody got hurt except for my balls." I took a deep breath, knowing that we had to talk about this at some point. "And I can't even get mad at them for that. Honestly, I'm impressed. And kinda proud."

"I could tell", Emmett muttered. "It's because of you and your dad, isn't it?"

"So?", I countered, not sure what he was getting at. "Look, I'm not saying we should make this Eden kid part of our pack or some shit like that. That's just the three of us, and that isn't gonna change. But what's the harm in teaching them a trick or two? You don't even have to be around for this. If they only have time for an hour every week anyway, I can just do it myself."

Emmett let out another grunt. "I'm not gonna be able to change your mind, I know. But I hope you know what you're doing." With that, he pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against, trudging off into another room.

I was too stunned by that reaction to call him back, so I only stopped staring after him when Stinky's voice made me snap out of it.

"He's probably still a bit groggy from almost losing it earlier", my friend supposed, his optimism just a little more cautious than usual. " _I_ think making new friends is a great idea."

He didn't get more than a quick glance from me before my eyes went back to where Emmett had disappeared. Was he really that worried I could abandon Stinky and him? Or did he think Eden was just the beginning; that I'd end up warming up to so many students that I'd put him and his violent secret in danger?

Well, I wasn't going to do any of that. I'd just spend some time with Eden and show them a couple tricks I'd learned over the years, no big deal whatsoever. And that was something even Emmett would have to realize eventually.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Chopper. I almost forgot how fun it is to be in this guy's head. Hope you guys can forgive him and his pals for being a bit on the slow side with pronouns - they still have a lot to catch up on, and I assure you they're doing their best :')
> 
> All the same, I hope you're enjoying Eden so far. Things are gonna get even more fun in the upcoming chapters :3


	2. Chapter 2

A whole week went by without anyone bothering us, so I suspected that Eden was right: they'd only be able to come over during the one spare they didn't have together with their brother. Sure enough, when it was Tuesday again, at the same time as the week before, Emmett said the one word that told me all I needed to know.

"Chopper."

This time, he didn't sound worried, just frustrated. Guess he still wasn't all that happy with what I was about to do. Still, that didn't stop me, and after a quick glance at our screen to confirm that it really was Eden who'd entered our hallway, I headed off exactly there.

"Figured you'd show", Eden greeted me as soon as I stepped into view, actual excitement in their expression and tone. Apparently, they were looking forward to this as much as I was, which made me feel a little better about the whole thing with Emmett. "Just you this time?"

"Yeah", I said, not really keen on giving an explanation. "So, got anything specific planned for today?"

Eden shrugged. "Dunno. What do you guys usually do?"

"Crafting", I supposed, but Eden immediately declined.

"I'm not gonna use my spare for more work", they told me. "I'm here to have fun, remember?"

"Right." My eyes trailed off as I attempted to think of something better, and when they caught sight of some old scribbles on one of the lockers, that gave me an idea. I gestured for Eden to follow me to the end of our hallway, right where it met the area we still let students use, and nodded at a similar drawing on the wall. "Do you know what these are?"

Eden eyed the scribbles for a moment - one consisted of three diagonal lines, the other of a circle with two arrows going through, and both had been kind of crudely drawn on the wall with permanent marker. "The spray paint of some loser who didn't actually know how to spray paint?"

I snorted, unable to feel offended by that. "These are called hoboglyphs. A pretty epic secret code, basically. You can find them all around town if you know where to look."

Dad had told me before that these symbols had only really been used by a certain group of people ages ago, one that wasn't actually much of a big thing anymore. But homeless people around the area had started adapting them, so to speak, and still used them to get around - making these drawings still pretty valuable nowadays, even if they'd lost their original purpose.

Eden, in any case, was obviously intrigued. "Really? What do they mean?"

"We put these here when we came here", I explained, pointing first at the lines and then at the circle with the arrows. "This one means ‘unsafe area', and this one is ‘get out fast'."

Eden's expression turned into a grin. "I like that. But does anyone here actually know how to read them?"

"Well, no, not really", I admitted. "These two symbols are just here for the sake of it, honestly. The only ones that matter are the ones we put up around our place, so that homeless people know they can stay for a while and all."

"Homeless people? That's what these are for?", Eden asked in a tone I couldn't read. "Really, I'm starting to wonder why everyone's this terrified of you."

"They have plenty of reasons to be", I countered, a sudden worry crossing my mind. Was this what Emmett had meant? Was I letting my guard down too much? "But that doesn't mean we can't help the people that really need it."

Eden hesitated. "Can you show me more of these?", they asked eventually, and I nodded, leading them over to the workshop. Emmett and Stinky weren't there anymore - for better or worse, I didn't really know -, but at least that meant no distractions.

I grabbed myself some sheets of paper and a pen and started to draw, symbols I hadn't had to rely on for years but still saw clearly in my head. And Eden paid close attention, their gaze shifting between my sketches and me, until eventually, they spoke up after one of my explanations. "How come _you_ know all of these?", they wondered, and, after a moment of hesitation, they added, "Firsthand experience?"

I stopped what I was doing, not sure what to reply. None of the students here knew about our juvie past, and for once, Emmett wasn't the only one who'd like it to stay that way. But this didn't really have to do with that, so I said, "Kind of. My dad taught me these ages ago, but yeah, I had to use them to get around for a while. Definitely made stuff easier."

Eden looked even more intrigued, but at the same time, not actually surprised. "Did you get that scar back then as well?"

I gave them a stunned look, not that they could actually see it behind my goggles. Usually, nobody really noticed that old mess on my left hand, but I supposed they must have spotted it while I'd been drawing. Deciding to do them the favor, I slid off my fingerless glove, granting Eden a good look at the burn scar I'd gotten way back when I was seven. "Yeah", I said with a chuckle. "Got a little too careless with a lighter I found."

"Still epic", Eden insisted. "I don't have anything like that. But I guess I wasn't out on the streets all that long."

"But you were for a bit?", I asked, surprised.

Eden, however, frowned and looked away. "Whatever. I should probably get going again anyway. Can I keep these?"

Startled as I was, I only managed a "Sure" before Eden had grabbed my drawings and was heading for the exit. "Hey, you know you can tell me if something's bothering you, right?"

"I didn't come here for talking", Eden muttered, and then, they were gone.

When Emmett and Stinky returned minutes later, back from wherever they'd been, I was still kind of awkwardly standing there.

"So what did you guys do? Did you have fun?", Stinky asked, cheerful as always.

"...I think so", I said, still gathering my thoughts. "I'll explain later."

And at least for that moment, we left it at that.

* * *

I told the others about what had happened eventually, when we were back at our place, having dinner. Emmett was visibly glad that I hadn't slipped up with the things I'd said, but he was just as surprised by Eden's strange behavior as I had been. "Don't bother with it now", he decided in the end. "Who knows if the kid is even gonna show up again."

He was right, of course, and I wasn't too sure about that last part either. But after everything I'd been through with my friends, I couldn't help but be at least a little concerned about Eden. Sure, they weren't part of our pack, but if they were going through shitty stuff and I could help them somehow, I would.

So I was glad when, a week later, I spotted a familiar face in our hallway.

"Hey", I greeted Eden, figuring I'd rather not start this on an awkward note. "Hope you had some fun with our little code this week."

Eden had their hands buried in the pockets of their hoodie, but I took it as a good sign that they were grinning up at me. "Totally. But today I wanna do something different."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Like combat training. You probably know some cool moves, right?"

I stared at them for a moment. Of course, I never said no to a good fight, but actually having it requested by someone else was kind of weird. Still, I just needed to think back to my sessions with Dad to know what I was gonna reply. "Sure do. And I know just the right place."

I led Eden further along our hallway, to a door that didn't lead to the workshop but to a room we used for hanging out whenever Patty was busy teaching kids in shop class and we didn't have anywhere else to go. It had a couch and a fridge and some gym equipment and, most importantly right now, plenty of space for when we wanted to get rid of some shitty emotions the physical way.

"Hell yes", Eden said after taking in the view. "The place where all the cool people hang out."

"Is everyone in your grade really that bad?", I asked, earning myself a scoff.

"Totally! Everyone's all, like, anti-violence and shit. My bro's been trying to introduce me to people, but they all keep telling me to chill or whatever. And _he's_ just the worst. He'd solve every problem with a hug if he could."

Eden had decided to use our punching bag as they talked, every punch putting emphasis on their frustration. There was obviously a lot of anger inside this kid, but it wasn't like I hadn't been just like that back in the day.

"Geez", I said sympathetically. "Sounds awful. But, you know, violence isn't the solution for everything either." I thought back to Emmett, trying my best not to grimace. "You can't just go around punching people whenever something isn't going your way. It's great for self defense, yeah, but that's it."

Eden groaned. "Now you just sound like the others. But _fine_ , if it makes you happy, I'm not gonna punch anyone who doesn't deserve it."

That last sentence was half-assed and didn't mean all that much, that was obvious enough. But I didn't argue with them, instead deciding to just follow through with my plan for now. It couldn't hurt to show Eden what Dad had taught me, after all.

"Great. Now, you better get out of your hoodie, unless you want it to end up all sweaty for the rest of the day."

Eden frowned, crossing their arms. They didn't say anything, and I realized that, much like with me and my necklace, the hoodie had to be some sort of comfort item for them.

"Or unless you don't wanna take it off for different reasons", I offered, but Eden talked over me before I was finished.

"It's not like I couldn't handle it", they declared as if I'd suggested otherwise, and moments later, they'd pulled their hoodie over their head and tossed it aside, revealing a body that was much more skinny than I'd expected. Not as underweight as I had been after my time on the streets, but their hoodie really was compensating quite a bit. They were still wearing a black tank top, so their upper body wasn't entirely naked or anything, and it didn't quite hide the fact that, biologically speaking, they were definitely female. But who was I to judge? Their body was none of my business, really; if they felt different about the whole gender topic, I just had to accept whatever they told me they were.

Right now, my eyes were kind of distracted by Eden's hair anyway. They'd nearly shaved it off, with just a shortish layer of black fuzz remaining… and a finger-wide strand at the back of their head, reaching all the way down to their waist. It was virtually begging to be grabbed and pulled, but I really didn't want to know what Eden did to the people that tried.

They were giving me a warning glare as well, but relaxed a little when they realized I wasn't gonna do anything shitty. "Your turn."

"Huh?" I was wearing my jumpsuit as usual, so there wasn't really anything I could take off. Other than maybe my -

"Your goggles, obviously."

Yeah. Those. "Sure", I said, pulling them off with ease. As usual, I had to blink a few times to get used to this different vision - after all, without my goggles, I couldn't see colors correctly. That may have been all I'd known for the biggest part of my life, but now that I had these goggles, I really couldn't imagine living without them and only took them off when absolutely necessary.

Or when people wanted to take a look at the stuff behind them.

"Whoa." Eden stared up at me, actually taking a few steps in my direction to get a better look at what I knew to be pretty startling amber eyes. "Is that their real color?"

"Yeah", I replied, feeling a bit proud even though I didn't have much of a reason to. "I guess they're pretty cool."

"Cooler than my lame brown ones for sure", Eden agreed, excitement leaking into their tone. "So, can we start fighting and all?"

I nodded, leading them over to the middle of the room. "Alright. Let's imagine I'm Stinky, so the crotch move won't work. How'd you try and beat me?"

Eden eyed me sceptically. "Why didn't that work anyway? That trick is, like, foolproof."

"As long as the fool is anyone but Stinky, yeah." I hesitated, not sure if I should reveal the truth. But then again, it wasn't really much of a weakness on Stinky's side, right? "He doesn't actually feel most kinds of pain. Obviously doesn't mean that he can't get injured, but you can strike him with a taser and he'll just say it tickles."

"Did you try?", Eden asked, which immediately made me grimace. Yeah, we had, so to speak, though not really by choice. Just by the guards in juvie being total jerks, and I'd still rather not talk about all that with someone I barely knew.

"You didn't answer my question yet", I reminded Eden. "How'd you defend yourself against someone like Stinky?"

"No point in fighting them if they can't feel pain", they decided. "So I guess I'd just make a run for it. Being small's gotta be useful for something at some point."

I nodded again, even if their wording rubbed me the wrong way. I'd probably just misread the way they'd intended it. "It's always good if you know how to use your special traits to your advantage. And being this small and flexible definitely makes for one when you have to deal with people like me and my squad."

Eden grinned. "I've noticed. Wanna see me beat you even without kicking you in the crotch?"

"Bring it on", I said, grinning as well and assuming a proper fighting stance. Curious about what Eden's strategy was going to be.

I didn't have to wait long. I'd barely finished talking when my opponent was flinging themselves at me, fists closing in on me without hesitation. But I didn't hesitate either - I grabbed them by the wrists before they could land a single punch, and then it was just a matter of seconds before I had them pinned to the ground.

"So much for that." I was still grinning down at Eden, though their expression was more of a scowl by now.

"Not fair!", they insisted. "You totally cheated."

"Cheated? Pretty sure I just beat you fair and square." I paused, deciding to stop my teasing and actually be helpful. "You can't just rush in at random, you know. That only works with people who have no fighting experience whatsoever."

"That's the only kinda person I ever had to fight", Eden countered, which immediately made me curious again.

"What do you mean?"

But all Eden did was look away. "Whatever. Got any useful tips, then, wise guy?"

I couldn't force them to tell me anything, of course. Hell, I'd waited five whole years until Emmett had been comfortable enough to talk about his past. "Try having some sort of plan before you charge", I suggested. "Like I said, you're small. And fast. Use that to wear out your opponent by forcing them to turn or change direction all the time."

The eager spark returned to Eden's eyes. "I will."

I nodded, helping them back to their feet. Then I got into position again, waiting for Eden to attack.

They were a fast learner, I had to admit. They'd definitely listened to what I'd just told them, purposefully hitting first left, then right, half-circling me after every punch. Yeah, I managed to dodge most of those, but still, I was pretty impressed.

We continued for quite a while, until it was obvious Eden was pretty much out of breath. They'd continue until they'd won, though, I could tell as much, so I stopped passively defending myself and grabbed them again, forcing them to the ground once more.

"Not bad", I said before Eden could complain. "I can see you winning a lot of fights like that."

Eden was panting by now, trying to catch their breath. "But not against you. You still took me down like it was nothing."

I snorted, wiping my forehead. "I wouldn't say that. See? I've broken a sweat." I got off my opponent again, helping them up. "But yeah, it's pretty easy to predict your moves when your eyes are right on where you're going to strike. Try looking at an entirely different spot, then you'll be much harder to take down."

"Got it", Eden told me, their eyes meeting mine. That very second, I felt a punch in the gut, and I had to close my eyes for a moment before they looked back down at a very amused Eden. "Like that?"

"Yeah", I said, unable to be mad. "Good one, kid. Still got the energy for more?"

"You bet."

And so we continued our sparring, Eden getting better and better with every strike. And me getting prouder and prouder. After a time that, in total, had felt like ten minutes at most, the school bell rang, so we stopped in our tracks, both frowning.

"Dang it", Eden muttered. "Just when I was getting the hang of this."

"There's always next week", I reminded them. "And the week after that. We'll have plenty of time to continue this."

Eden gave in, nodding. They grabbed one of the nearby towels to dry themselves off, then hurried to their hoodie to put it on again. "Can't wait. But I really should get going for now, or my bro's gonna _kill_ me."

"With hugs?", I asked, remembering their earlier comment.

Eden stuck their tongue out at me, which I hadn't seen anyone do in pretty much ever. "I mean, probably", they said eventually. "So, you know, I better not risk it. See ya next week?"

"Definitely. See ya, kid."

I watched Eden leave the room - and noticed, right then, that someone else was standing there.

Emmett.

He didn't acknowledge Eden much and let them pass without a word, his eyes resting on me instead. They were full of that dark, worried look I knew best from our days in juvie, and I hated that fact. Juvie was over, damn it, he wasn't supposed to ever feel this way again.

Especially not because of me.

"What?", I growled at him, belatedly realizing that I wasn't wearing my goggles. He was perfectly able to see how much I was glaring at him now, and that only made his frown even deeper.

"I don't like where this is going", he told me, but that didn't exactly change my mind.

"Well, me neither. Just calm the fuck down, dude. I didn't tell Eden anything, alright? I'm just teaching the kid some tricks they might need sometime. Not drowning them in our tragic backstories or doing anything else that'd put the pack in danger."

Emmett kept frowning at me. "Just be careful."

"I am", I countered, but Emmett didn't reply again. He just turned around and left.

 _Am I being too reckless?_ , I wondered. _Not really, right?_ There wasn't much harm in teaching a kid how to survive, and I'd made sure not to tell Eden anything too personal about our pack. We weren't bothering anyone, so really, it was Emmett who had to chill here, not me.

Eden and I continued our weekly meetings, practicing combat and hoboglyphs and other stuff Dad had taught me or just casually hanging out. I didn't reveal anything private to Eden, and neither did they to me, so there wasn't anything to get worked up about. Stinky was chill with everything, obviously, to the point where he actually wanted to join us, but I knew that Emmett would appreciate that even less than he did already, so I always declined. And while Emmett kept being bitter on the days of my meetups with Eden, he didn't actually try and stop me anymore. Maybe he'd realized there was nothing to worry about.

Then, one day, when I was just having some time to myself, Emmett walked up to me. "Someone wants to talk to you", he said.

"Eden?", I asked without looking up, even though I knew that today was Wednesday, not Tuesday.

When I heard Emmett's answer, I turned my head after all.

"No", he said. "Their brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops...
> 
> Anyway, if you haven't heard of hoboglyphs before, definitely look them up! It's a really fascinating topic and absolutely something Chopper knows about. He might even have considered getting a tattoo of one at some point... but in the end, he figured that his scars already tell enough of a story :')


	3. Chapter 3

I stared at Emmett for several long moments until my brain had finally processed the information. Still, all I managed as a response was, "What?"

"Eden's brother wants to talk to you", my friend repeated, giving me a meaningful look. "I'm guessing it's because of your meetings."

"No shit", I muttered, getting up from my seat. Somehow, I'd always believed that Eden didn't actually have a brother; that the 'bro' they'd been talking about was just a good friend of theirs. But that probably didn't make much of a difference now. "Where is he?"

"The hallway", Emmett said, and with a nod, I left it at that.

"Go and catch up with Stinky or something. I'm guessing this is just meant for me anyway."

Emmett nodded as well, turning around and leaving the room just before I did. He headed off into the workshop, and now that his hulking body wasn't blocking the view anymore, I also spotted someone else in the hallway.

It was a kid about Eden's age, but a few inches taller and with a whole lot more weight to his body. He didn't even try to compensate for that, instead, he was wearing a rather voluminous coat that only made him look all the more massive. But even though he was openly displaying a necklace with brass knuckles attached to it, he didn't actually come across as intimidating. He seemed… soft, more than anything, and it was easy for me to understand why Eden wasn't exactly fond of that aspect of him.

Still, his skin was the same color as Eden's, and I assumed his hair was too, even if I couldn't really see whatever was left of it under that turned-around baseball cap he was wearing. At least in that regard, he looked a lot like his sibling, though his half-nervous, half-worried expression reminded me much more of Emmett. _Just great_ , I thought.

"Hey!", I called out to him, which made him wince a little bit. "Over here, kid."

The boy seemed to become more nervous with every step he took in my direction, so I spared him any kind of close contact and went back into our hangout room. When he arrived, I was leaning against the wall with crossed arms, and at least for now, he remained in the doorframe, right where he was.

I suspected he wanted to have this conversation as little as I did, but one of us had to say something eventually. "So?", I asked. "What do you want?"

"Uh, hi." His whole body shape probably prevented him from shifting uncomfortably, but that didn't stop him from looking uneasy. And sounding like it, too; his voice wasn't completely full of terror, but still the virtual opposite of the bold confidence I was used to with Eden. "I'm Chacha. You know, Eden's brother? They might have mentioned me at some point."

"Chopper", I told him in return, my own tension keeping me from holding back. "Dumb nickname, by the way."

For some reason, that made him relax ever so slightly. "Oh, that's not a nickname. It's the real deal. Chacha Mwanajuma."

That was the moment I realized I'd had no idea about Eden's last name until now, but I quickly brushed the thought aside. They didn't know my real name either, after all. "Great. So why are you here? You gotta have some big balls if you think you can just walk into our hallway like that."

"It's about Eden", Chacha told me, sounding more determined than before. "I found out about you guys hanging together, and about all the stuff you've been doing. And I'm here to ask you to stop."

"Yeah? And why should I give a shit about what you're telling me to do?" Emmett having an issue with my activities was one thing, but a stranger I didn't know at all was another.

"Because this isn't about _me_ ", Chacha said. "It's about Eden. I'm sure you know how much they dig violence, and you teaching them all-new tricks and enabling them, it's -"

"I'm not enabling anyone", I countered. "I'm teaching them how to survive in case life screws them over. Which can happen to anyone, at any time, and to people like us especially."

Chacha hesitated. "I know. But I'm trying to help Eden recover from that."

 _From my lessons?_ , I wondered, before realizing what he was actually referring to. My aggression vanished almost immediately. "What happened?"

Chacha stepped away from the doorframe, closing the door behind him before he replied to me. "I'm not actually Eden's brother", he admitted. "Not biologically, I mean. We aren't really related at all."

I wasn't as surprised by that as he'd probably expected me to be. "So?"

"So… well, my parents and I adopted Eden, a couple of years ago."

That made me grimace. No, I didn't really have any kind of experience with that topic, but even I knew that you didn't just get given up for adoption for no reason. And that you usually didn't have the greatest life if you only wound up getting adopted several years down the line, instead of immediately after birth or whatever.

"...yeah", Chacha said in response to whatever he'd read into my expression. "We don't know who their real parents are. Just that Eden's been raised in an orphanage for pretty much their whole life. Before they moved in with us, I mean."

I kept on grimacing, thinking back to Eden's typical aggressive behavior. "I'm guessing the place sucked?"

"Eden is better at ranting about this than I am, I'm sure", Chacha said with a weak smile. "But yeah, they just kinda ended up picking fights with everyone all the time, and I'm pretty much the first real friend they ever had. And this is the first year at an actual school for them, too, because it's just kinda been homeschooling so far. It's all a bit new and stressful for Eden, and I know they don't like my perspective much… but I'm trying to help them realize that people aren't always as awful as those they grew up with, and that they don't need to keep their guard up all the time. And that's kinda hard when you're enforcing that perspective, you know? Eden digs you a lot, so… I don't know, you can just give me a wedgie and leave it at that. Or you try talking to Eden, because they're definitely gonna listen more to you than to me."

For several long seconds, I couldn't think of anything to reply. Chacha's words just now… they hit far too close to home; reminded me far too much of myself half a lifetime ago. Yeah, I'd been a spiteful mess back in the day, and where had that taken me? Juvie.

And if Eden wasn't careful, they might end up there as well.

I took a deep breath. "Alright. I'm gonna talk to them. Thanks for telling me all of that."

"You too", Chacha replied, visibly relieved. "The thanks part. For not giving me a wedgie, too."

That made me crack a smile. "It isn't too late for that."

Chacha raised his hands up in defense, but lowered them again immediately once he realized I was kidding. "I'll pass. And I'd better go again. Break only ever lasts so long."

"Sure thing", I said, still a bit distracted from what I'd just learned about Eden. "Take care."

Chacha gave me a smile of his own, one that was so warm it made me feel kind of awkward. I was relieved when he was gone again, though I still spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about his words.

Then, eventually, the next Tuesday came around, and I wasn't as excited for my meetup with Eden as I usually was. After all, we probably weren't exactly going to have fun today. 

I spent the minutes before Eden's scheduled arrival pacing up and down the workshop, every so often glancing at our surveillance screen and waiting for the kid to show up. The others were with me, watching me - Stinky curiously, and Emmett with a bit less of a frown than on the last couple Tuesday mornings.

"I'm glad you're doing this, Chopper", my muscular packmate said. He and Stinky both knew about my conversation with Chacha, so it wasn't hard to guess what he was referring to. "It's gonna work out, you'll see."

"It better does", I muttered, not stopping my pacing. "Like it or not, I really dig this kid. I don't want them to hate me."

"I doubt that's gonna happen", Stinky put in. "We all know how much Eden loves hanging out with you. That's why Emmett went talking to Chacha to begin with - because it's making both of you realize that there are less, uh, radical ways to spend time."

I stopped in my tracks after all, turning my head to face Stinky. "What did you just say?"

"That there are nicer ways to spend your time?", he offered, but I ignored that remark and looked at Emmett instead.

"That Emmett was the one spilling to Chacha what Eden's been up to", I said, hearing my voice become less nervous and more irritated. "Is that's what's going on? Is this a setup?"

Emmett returned my stare. "It's me making sure things don't get out of hand."

"Yeah? And what makes you think you're in any position to judge?"

He didn't reply immediately. And when he did, his gaze was so intense that for once, it was me who had to do his best not to look away - especially because, at the same time, he stood up and slowly made his way over to me. "I know you, Chopper. I know you regret some of the stuff you did before you wound up in juvie, and that the last thing you want is Eden making the same mistakes you did. But that might be exactly what's going to happen if you keep reinforcing their beliefs, the ones that match up with your experiences and the struggles you've had to go through." He paused again, just for a few seconds, now standing so close to me that I could see the faint spark of hope in his ever-sorrowful eyes. "You helped me recover from the stuff that's been haunting me for far longer than my stay in juvie… so please, Chopper. Let me do the same for you."

My immediate instinct was to snap at Emmett again, to tell him that I didn't need to recover from anything and to get mad at him for backstabbing me like this. But I knew that he wasn't backstabbing me, not really. No, he cared about me, maybe more than I had consciously realized until this very moment… and he was right with what he was saying, I knew that too. Maybe I really had become too ignorant of my own issues while trying to help him with his.

I felt my body relax, allowing it to do so until I could think of something decent to reply. But just when I was about to do that, Stinky chimed in.

"Eden's coming!", he announced with his eyes on our surveillance screen. Had he even paid attention to my talk with Emmett just now? Or had he trusted us to work things out without him?

Whatever the case, I didn't have the time to figure it out. I had to talk to Eden.

Emmett put a hand on my shoulder, which somehow made me relax and tense up at the same time. "You can do this", he told me in a tone that made it impossible not to believe him. "They're gonna listen to you, you'll see."

"Who are you, Stinky?", I muttered back, although I gave him a semi-gentle jab with my elbow to assure him we were good. The real wildcard here was Eden, we both knew that. "Wish me luck."

With that, I headed out into the hallway, where Eden was already waiting for me. "There you are", they told me with a smirk that didn't make me feel nearly as great as it normally did. "I was wondering when you were gonna show up."

"Yeah, sorry for the holdup", I said, but before I could continue, Eden spoke up again.

"Well, you're here now, so we can get going. What are we gonna do today? I practiced that dodging technique you showed me last time, and I'm pretty sure I can totally kick your ass now."

It took a bit of willpower to stop me from grimacing. "That's great, Eden. Really. But we're not gonna do that kinda stuff today." I hesitated, took a deep breath. "We need to talk."

I could straight up see how their body tensed up; how their smirk left their face and turned into a glare that was a strange mix of betrayal, defensiveness, and anger. Their voice sounded just like that. "Talk? What do you mean, talk? Do I look like I came here for that kinda crap?"

"Eden", I said, slowly but firmly. "I know you're not a fan of stuff like that. I'm not either. But the things we've been doing… we can't continue like this. Not when what you really need is the exact opposite."

They kept staring at me, though their expression didn't exactly turn any less aggressive. "And who put that into your brain? Chacha? What's giving him the right to decide what I need? He doesn't know a _thing_ about me!"

Any other person would've earned themselves a slap now - an obvious enough signal to put them in their place -, but this wasn't just anyone. This was Eden, a kid who was basically me, and slaps in the face were the last thing I'd needed back in the day. I would've needed someone to listen, to even try to understand what kind of crap I'd been going through, and maybe, just maybe, that would've stopped me from getting stuck in juvie. There was no way to fix that anymore, but that didn't mean that it had to be the same for this kid.

Somehow, I managed to stay calm. "He knows where you grew up. So he has every right and reason to care about you. But, Eden, you're right - that's not the same as _knowing_ what you've had to put up with. As understanding all of that. You only really manage that when you've been through similar shit yourself." I knew they couldn't see my eyes right now, so I hoped my tone was expressive enough. "Maybe that isn't the case for Chacha. Good for him, really. But I'm willing to give it a shot."

Eden kept silent, looking away. They were still visibly tense, but not in the ready-to-attack way anymore. And I didn't say anything else either, I just stood there and gave them the time they needed to sort out their emotions.

"But not here, right?", they asked me eventually.

"Nah", I assured them, not hiding my relief. "I can definitely do without random strangers listening in on us out here in the hallway. How about I pop us open some Splat and we chill back in our hangout room?"

Finally, the hint of a smile appeared on Eden's face. "Sure."

Minutes later, we were doing exactly that, slouched on the couch with cans of Green Apple Splat in our hands and my goggles somewhere beside me - this was gonna be much easier if Eden could actually see my expressions. They let out a burp, and I burped even louder, and that was the moment I figured I could dare begin that particular conversation.

"So?", I asked. "Is it true what Chacha told me? You grew up at an orphanage?"

Eden grimaced. "I guess. But I'm glad I got out of there."

"That horrible?"

"The worst!", Eden insisted after gulping down another mouthful of Splat. "It was, like, this super religious place? Always shoving down your throat how God is oh so great and nice and _shut the fuck up already, I get it_. If he was really this great, he would have made my parents dump me at literally any other place but there."

I frowned, touching my little cross necklace. No, I wasn't an overly preachy guy or anything, but still, believing in that kind of higher being had gotten me through a lot of shitty times over the years. My real name was Matthew, after all, after a certain guy in the Bible… and that book was pretty much the only one they actually let you own in juvie. I wasn't gonna argue the fact that most of the inmates probably didn't care about it much - Stinky and Emmett never had, for one -, but I, at least, had appreciated it. "God isn't all that bad", I said.

Eden groaned. "Not you too. But at least you aren't bringing up that topic in literally every other sentence, I guess. Back there, I couldn't take a piss without someone telling me to thank God for the toilet, I swear."

I couldn't help but snort. "You're exaggerating, right?"

"Only a little", they admitted. "Seriously, they were always all about thanking God before every meal and all that shit. And so determined about it that they straight up refused to let me eat when I decided I wasn't gonna go along with that anymore. They pretty much let me starve to death before they decided to be oh so generous and merciful and allow me to eat again after all."

"Geez", I muttered, but Eden shrugged.

"Yeah, that day or two kinda sucked, but at least I didn't have to join in on their weird rituals anymore. Pretty sure that was the point in time everyone there really decided to hate me, but hey, it was mutual, so whatever."

I nodded, slowly beginning to realize how Eden had ended up this full of spite. "Must've been great when Chacha's family adopted you, then", I assumed, but for some reason, that made Eden grimace again.

"They didn't actually adopt me", they said. "Not the first time, anyway." Eden went silent, but I could tell there was more on their mind, so I waited. "I was, like, eight when they showed up at the orphanage, all because Chacha wanted a sibling or something. But even back then, he was all cheerful and outgoing and all those other things I hated, so I just stayed in a corner somewhere, hoping he wouldn't decide to bother me."

"But he did?", I figured.

Eden nodded. "He was basically all over me once he'd noticed me, as if he couldn't possibly let someone stay bitter if he could help it." They took another sip of their Splat before they continued. "I mean, it was… kind of nice, I guess. That he actually thought I was cool. That he didn't immediately hate me, like the other kids and the adults did, and that he genuinely wanted to spend time with me. And that he… that he actually bothered to use the right pronouns instead of just treating me like a girl. Like everyone else did."

I kept silent, listening. Perfectly being able to understand where Eden was coming from, because I'd pretty much felt the exact same way back when I'd met Stinky.

"Chacha straight up told his parents that he wanted me as his sibling", Eden continued, their voice having turned just a little quieter with every word. "But I… I was kind of scared, you know? Because everyone else I knew at the time _hated_ me, and I didn't want him to end up feeling like that as well. Or at least I didn't want him to hate me for stuff I had no real control over, so I thought it was better not to risk anything. And just kinda told him and his parents that I didn't actually want to be with them. Like, at all."

"Damn", I muttered, and Eden nodded, burying their hands in their hoodie pockets.

"Pretty much. I mean, for the first time in my life, someone actually gives a shit about me, and I tell them to the face how much I hate them? Great job, me, seriously." They sighed. "I beat myself up for the rest of that day, until I decided I couldn't take it anymore. So that night, I ran away, determined to find Chacha's place. I kind of knew his last name, and he'd rambled on about the area he lived in, so I thought I could figure it out."

I gave Eden a stunned look, even though I already knew the whole running away thing from myself, and even though they weren't actually looking in my direction. They hadn't for half of this conversation, really.

"Sure, I was eight, and it was the middle of the night, and it was raining like hell. But I kept going, and somehow, I actually found his place. So I rang, and they let me inside and were really nice to me and… fuck, dude, I'm not gonna cry in front of you."

Their voice had cracked a little during that last part, and they quickly wiped over their eyes with the sleeve of their hoodie, but I knew better than to comment on that.

"I get it", was all I said. "And then they let you stay?"

"Mh. They had to call the orphanage first, to sort things out and all, but yeah. It's… it's pretty nice. Even if Chacha's endless optimism makes me wanna throw up sometimes."

"Tell me about it", I replied. "I spent half my life locked up in a room with no one but Stinky. It's a miracle I didn't go insane."

For the first time in ages, Eden shot me a glance. "What do you mean, locked up?"

 _Damn it_ , I thought. I'd planned to transition into that topic a lot smoother than this. "Long story", I said. "Go on and finish yours first."

"Fine." Eden actually sounded a little amused, but just for a moment. "You know why I wanted to hang out with you so badly? This is my first year at an actual school, and everyone I have classes with… they don't _get_ me, you know? They're just like the kids back at the orphanage, except maybe a little less preachy. They're all so… soft. And innocent. And I hate it. So when I first heard about you guys… I thought that maybe I could finally hang out with people who actually _are_ like me, instead of just people who like me. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah", I assured them. "I get it. And I'm glad you think I'm this cool to hang out with. But…" I hesitated, unsure of how to continue. This was the less fun part, after all. "Look, Eden. Trust me, I dig our little combat sessions as much as you do. But there's more to life than fighting, and things can honestly get really fun when you manage to get comfortable enough to let your guard down around someone. And that doesn't always have to be people like me. I'm sure some kids in your classes would love to give you a chance."

Eden frowned, looking like they were having an argument with themselves inside their head. In the end, they told me, "I guess some of the people Chacha wants me to like do seem pretty cool. Nadene and Ocho, they're called. I haven't really talked to them all that much yet because Ocho is all into peace and that boring stuff… but they like the same music I do. So maybe I could give it another shot."

"Sounds great", I agreed, and meant it, too. Before I could help it, I added, "I bet they'll love having you around. You've still got the chance not to end up like me, after all."

"Why wouldn't I want to be like you?", Eden argued, which made me send a silent apology to Emmett. I pulled up one leg of my pants, granting Eden a good look at my ankle tag.

"That's why."

Eden gasped. "What _is_ that?"

 _And you're the one calling people innocent_ , I thought. "Something to make sure the others and I don't do anything shitty. We got them when they let us out of juvie."

"That's, like, jail for kids, right?", Eden asked. Their voice was still quieter than I was used to; more reluctant, really. Maybe my words were achieving something after all.

"Pretty much, yeah." I drank whatever was left of my Splat and flung the empty can across the room. "Remember the stuff I said about Stinky and tasers a while back? That's where we found that out. And when the guards realized they couldn't mess him up that way, they just used me instead."

I opened up my jumpsuit a little more, allowing Eden to see the bulging black lightning-shaped scar around my waist. As expected, they couldn't take their eyes off it. "Holy crap", they exclaimed, and only once I'd fully covered it again did they look back up at my face. "What did you do to get stuck in jail?"

"Make the cops mad at me, mostly", I said, and before I knew it, I'd told them all about how I had ended up in juvie so many years ago. "Stinky and Emmett showed up for their own reasons later on, and we've pretty much been inseparable ever since. Right now we're mostly just here passing time until we aren't on probation anymore. And we're not really 15th Graders, but honestly, I think we're gonna start going by that. Sounds much better than the truth."

"Guess so", Eden agreed, still uncharacteristically reserved. "But that doesn't mean we can't hang out anymore, right? Because I still wanna do that. Even if we're only gonna do lame stuff from now on."

I snorted, resisting the urge to elbow them like I'd have done with the others. Eden was the kinda person who'd punch you if you attempted that, just out of habit. "‘Course I'll still let you come over. And there's nothing wrong with doing some play-fighting from time to time. We just gotta tone down the whole ‘the world's a horrible place and everyone in it is ready to screw you up' thing a bit. Think we can do that?"

"If we have to", Eden supposed, their voice finally louder and more teasing again. "I guess we _are_ kinda dealing with the same sorta stuff. Just a couple of misfits trying to get used to a world that isn't all life-and-death."

I was about to say something, but Eden went on before I had the chance.

"And honestly, after all we've been through? I think we'll be able to make it work."

"Amen to that", I said, earning myself a glare. But that only made me chuckle, and moments later, Eden couldn't help but join in.

Yeah, things were still kind of a mess for both of us, and all those years of the shit we'd been through weren't just going to wear off over night. But we had our friends - no, our _families_ , even if none of us were actually related by blood -, and in the end, that was really all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go! Not that much lore to share here this time, I've just been meaning to write about Eden and Chacha for ages. Hope you enjoyed them as much as I do! And Chopper and his lads too, of course - they're always fun to revisit. He and Eden totally have a Sandor Clegane/Arya Stark dynamic going on and I'm all here for it.
> 
> I don't actually know who I'll write about next, but there are still a lot of kids at this school to explore... so I suppose we'll see :3


End file.
